Under the Moon
by ReillyJade
Summary: Before heading into battle, Fred and Katie share a moment together beneath the moonlit, starry sky. It's a beautiful night.


_DISCLAIMER:_ All of the places and characters in this story belong to the genius Ms. J.K. Rowling. No profit is being made from this story. It only serves to (hopefully) entertain_._

* * *

_**~Under the Moon~**_

Everyone's here. Mum and dad. Bill and Fleur. Charlie, Percy, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, the entire Order...everyone. Everyone I've grown to love and care about during my twenty years of life is together in this crowded, chatter-filled room, but I don't see them. In this moment, they're nothing. They simply don't exist. Even George - my best friend, my better half – means nothing right now. All that matters is her.

It's been a few months since I've seen her, and while she looks the same, she's somehow more beautiful than ever before. I just stare at her from my place in the corner, deciding when to make my way over to her. She's discussing the upcoming battle with Angelina and Oliver; I can tell what she's saying because my eyes haven't left her lips for the past minute or two.

Merlin, I miss those lips. I never realized just how much until now.

Out of nowhere, Kingsley makes the announcement. It's time to fight. Suddenly, everyone in the Room of Requirement is moving around, attempting to get to one of the three exits. Some of them are cheering and lifting their wands into the air, proudly ready to defend their school and their cause. Others look nervous and jittery as they tightly hold onto the hands of loved ones. But I'm none of those things. I'm just determined. I have to talk to her. It's now or never.

"Fred, where are you going?" George asks, placing a hand on my shoulder when I begin to walk in the opposite direction of him. "Kingsley told us to guard the Astronomy Tower with dad and Remus, remember?"

"I just need a minute."

"Fred-"

"Please, George, just cover for me. I'll be there soon, I promise." I jerk my head in her direction, and when George sees her, he nods in understanding.

"Alright. I'll see you soon, then."

I smile nervously before waking away. She's surrounded by people now as she tries to leave the room. I fight my way to her, pushing through students, parents, and teachers. I don't reach her until we're both already in the corridor. When I'm close enough, I reach out and gently grab her shoulder.

"Katie."

She turns in confusion, but smiles slightly when she sees me. To my surprise, she pulls me in for a hug.

"Fred," she breathes after we pull apart. "I was hoping I'd see you."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I don't waste any time.

Katie raises an eyebrow. "Now? Fred, I have to get down to the third floor. Kingsley said we-"

"Yes, yes, I know," I say. I hate interrupting her, but I know time is scarce. "Please, Katie. It'll only take a minute or two."

She still looks skeptical, but her expression softens when she notices the desperation in my voice. To my relief, she nods.

"Okay."

I grab her hand and lead her through the massive crowd of people still pouring out of the Room of Requirement. I pull her into the first empty classroom I can find. Once the door is shut, she surprises me once again by hugging me. Her body is warm and her hair smells so good. I just want to stay in this room with her forever. She's _really_ not making this any easier for me.

No words are exchanged when we finally pull apart. We simply gaze at each other, and somehow I know she's thinking the same thing as I am. Why did we ever end this? We were so happy, so in love. I know breaking things off was the wisest thing to do at the time, but as I look at her now, I feel like it was the worst decision in the word. We lost weeks, months, a whole year, and that's time we'll never get back. It'll never happen again. Even if we win this damn thing tonight, Katie and I will never be able to have what we once did, because tonight is it for us.

I know I'm going to die tonight.

I don't know how I know, but the thought has been eating away at me. Until about five minutes ago, I was okay actually with it – dying, that is. I've lived a happy, albeit short, life. I have a family that loves me. My best friend and twin achieved our dream of opening our own shop. I was able to see my eldest brother find love and get married. And while I never got married, I myself found love. I've experienced that wondrous feeling in my chest when the girl of my dreams looks at me with that tender gleam in her eye that tells me she feels the same way. I'm still feeling it now. Katie's lovely brown eyes haven't left my blue ones, and that's why I'm suddenly feeling so hopeless and scared about the prospect of greeting death so early.

I still love her. I'm realizing now that I never stopped. My intention when I brought her into this room was to give her a hug, wish her well, and let go. But I can't. I can't let her go. I can't say goodbye. I _won't_ say goodbye. No. If I tell her what I really think will happen tonight, she'll worry. I can't have her worrying in the middle of a battle. It'll put her in even more danger, and she has to make it through this war. She has to go on.

Katie walks over to the window and rests her hands on the stone ledge beneath it. The moonlight streaming through the frosted glass gives her skin an angelic glow. It brings back memories of those autumn and spring nights we snuck out of Gryffindor Tower to play Quidditch together by the light of the moon, and those precious moments we shared beneath the stars, tangled in blankets and each other. Her smile illuminated my world. I wish she would smile like she did then, but right now, she looks so vulnerable. Fragile. Scared.

"This is really happening, isn't it?" she asks quietly, looking down at her hands. "We're fighting tonight."

"Yes," I say, "but we'll win. I know we will." It's not a lie. I really do believe our side will triumph and end this thing once and for all. We have to.

"I wish I had that kind of faith. I'm scared, Fred." She looks up at me now, and I can see tears building up in the eyes I adore so much. "Is it okay to be scared?"

"Katie, what are you talking about?" I ask, moving to stand beside her. "Of course it's okay to be scared. I know I am."

"But you think we'll win. How can you possibly scared if you're sure of that?"

I consider her question carefully. Knowing I can't tell her the full truth, I go with the next best thing.

"It's still a war, Katie," I say solemnly. "It's a scary thing. We're going to...to lose people." I stumble over my words on that last part. "But it'll be okay in the end. It'll be hard, but our side will get through it."

She takes my hand in hers, and together we stare at the moon, stars, and scattered clouds through the giant window. It's a beautiful night.

"And what about...what about us?" she asks in whisper. It's barely audible.

I turn to her. "Sorry?"

She breathes in deeply, and a single tear escapes her eye and begins to slowly trickle down her face.

"I still love you, Fred..."

"Katie, I love you too. You know I do. I never stopped."

"Then why did we break up?"

"You know why, love," I say. It feels good to call her 'love' once more. "I'm in the Order. If they ever found me and learned that we were together...I...I don't want to know what they would have done."

"I know," she says, sniffling a bit. "I've just missed you so much..."

"And I've missed you, Katie. Not a day went by without you crossing my mind at least a hundred times."

She smiles at this. Her smile...Merlin, her smile. If, by some bloody miracle, this war doesn't kill me, her smile surely will. She tightens her grip on my hand.

"Once this is is all over," she says, "we'll find each other. Once we win, once we end this thing, we're starting over. I want to be with you, Fred."

I close my eyes in a desperate attempt to hide the tears that threaten to fall. It all sounds so good. If I was going to live after tonight, there's no other way I'd want to spend the rest of my days. She's the only girl – woman – I've ever loved, still love, and will ever love. I want to marry her. I want to have ginger, Quidditch-playing kids with her, lots of them, all running about. I want to fall asleep with her in my arms every night and wake up with her every morning. Merlin, I want that, and knowing that it's never going to happen makes this all the more painful.

"There's nothing I want more than to be with you again," I tell her honestly. She smiles up at me.

"Really?"

I nod. "Really."

"Fred..." she breathes.

Before I can say anything, her lips are on mine, and for a moment, everything is okay. I bury my hands into her long, silky hair that smells sweetly of the lavender-honey shampoo she's always favored. She wraps her arms around my middle and pulls me close, almost as if she's determined to never let go. I deepen this kiss, and even though it's been ages since we've done this, it feels like we never stopped. She tastes so good, so familiar, and all I want is to find one of the blasted time-turner things and take her back to those moonlit nights when we didn't have a care in the world but each other. But no matter how much I wish otherwise, I know in my heart that this night, this moment, is the last I'll ever share with Katie. I savor her scent, her taste, her warmth...maybe having it all so fresh in my mind will make death a little less awful.

When we reluctantly pull apart, Katie is the first to speak.

"They'll be wondering where we've gone..."

"I know," I say with a nod. I can't manage to say much more without breaking down. I don't want this to end.

"I love you, Fred," she whispers, grasping my hand and squeezing it gently.

"And I love you, Katie. Be safe out there tonight."

"I will. I promise. You do the same." She gently squeezes my hand before letting go and backing away toward the door. "I'll be seeing you."

And with one last smile, she's gone.

The room seems darker, and I look back out the window to see that a cloud has covered the moon. Suddenly, my heart is heavier than ever before. This is real. This is it. It's over.

"Goodbye, Katie," I whisper as I stare up at the night sky. "Goodbye."

Holding back the tears with all of my might, I turn away from the window and leave the abandoned classroom. I look down all the way to the Astronomy Tower, but instead of seeing my feet and the stone ground, all I see is Katie. I see her laughing with her hair billowing behind her as we fly around the Quidditch pitch together. I see her eyes full of love as we lay together under the moon and stars. I see her running toward me with glee, prefect badge in hand before she tosses it to the side and jumps into my arms. But above all, I see the smiling face that has always brought light into my world on even the darkest of days.

Even though I know I'm not making it out of this, I take comfort in knowing Katie will be okay. She's smart, brave, and strong, and I know she'll survive this war. She _has_ to. The world needs her smile, her courage, her kindness, her love. I know someday she'll help lead the Holyhead Harpies to a million different championships, just like she's always dreamed of doing. She'll get married, have children, and have a charming little cottage somewhere in the countryside. She'll be happy. She'll be at peace. She's going to have a beautiful life. It hurts to know that I won't be part of it, but if winning this war means she'll live in comfort and happiness, it's worth it.

And suddenly, death doesn't scare me so much anymore. This is worth dying for.

George is waiting for me on the balcony once I reach the top of the Astronomy Tower. Even though I'm sure he can see the tears that still linger in my eyes, he doesn't say anything at first, which I'm grateful for. Instead, we just stare up at the sky and wait for the coming battle. When George speaks, it's brief, but we've never needed to say much to understand each other.

"You okay, Freddie?"

I don't look at him when I answer. Instead, I continue to stare up at the moon. The cloud has since moved, and the moon is bright once again. Everything is going to be alright. So I nod.

"Yeah," I say to my brother.

And I mean it.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This story was inspired by a quote from Pearl Jam's _Black_, given to me as a prompt by the lovely VivusEtIterum for the "What You Can Make of It" Competition:

"I know someday you'll have a beautiful life. I know you'll be a sun in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine?"

Much thanks to her for the quote! Inspiration was immediate. :)

This was also submitted in the Last Kiss Competition over on the HPFC forum. Thanks for reading!


End file.
